Israelis kill two Palestinians in clashes over home demolition

Israeli forces shot dead at least two Palestinians when clashes erupted during an operation Nov. 16 to destroy the West Bank home of a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli hiker, the army said.

Palestinian hospital sources reported the death of two Palestinians, while the Israeli military said three were shot in an exchange of fire at Qalandiya.    

Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner spoke of a third death on Twitter, but Palestinian hospital sources had not confirmed it.
 
The clashes broke out during the morning operation to demolish the home of Mohammed Abu Shahin.
 
Abu Shahin is accused of shooting dead Danny Gonen near the Dolev settlement in the West Bank on June 19, in an attack that also wounded another Israeli.
 
During the operation to destroy the house at Qalandiya, hundreds of Palestinians attacked Israeli security forces by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, the military said.
 
Violence since the start of October has killed 83 people on the Palestinian side -- including one Arab Israeli -- and 12 Israelis.
 
In response, the Israeli government has ordered an intensification of demolitions of homes of those accused of carrying out the attacks.
 
It argues that the policy acts as a deterrent, but critics say the main victims are relatives forced to pay for another person's actions.
 
On Nov. 14, Israeli troops razed the West Bank homes of four Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis, hours after an Israeli father and son were shot dead in an ambush near the flashpoint city of Hebron.
 
Three of the homes were destroyed in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, and the other in Silwad, northeast of Ramallah.
 
Those operations also...